Shuttle Atlantis lands safely in Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Space shuttle Atlantis made a pre-dawn landing Thursday at Cape Canaveral, Fla., ending a 12-day mission at the International Space Station.

Commander Brent Jett and pilot Chris Ferguson fired Atlantis' engines at 5:14 a.m. to re-enter the atmosphere and descent to Kennedy Space Center, and touched down at 6:23 a.m., NASA said.

The landing for the crew of six was a day behind schedule after debris was spotted orbiting near the shuttle on Tuesday and NASA ordered the delay to allow for examination of the shuttle's exterior for damage.

Atlantis was launched Sept. 9, and its mission included three spacewalks as well as construction of an array of solar panels on a 35,000-pound truss expanding the International Space Station.